Thrower vs. Thrower will have to wait until 2013

Kristen Odland, Calgary Herald11.29.2012

Hitmen rookie defenceman Josh Thrower won’t get to fight or play against his older brother Dalton when Saskatoon visits the Saddledome on Friday night because the latter is sidelined with a concussion.

With tickets reserved for 15-odd family members and flights booked to Calgary from their home in Vancouver, Murray and Melanie Thrower had been bracing themselves for Friday's Calgary Hitmen clash with the Saskatoon Blades at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Meanwhile, the gauntlet had already been thrown down between their only two sons — younger brother, referring to older brother: “He said he was going to beat me up.”

But unfortunately for everyone, the highly anticipated Thrower vs. Thrower bout — a first in both their hockey careers — will have to wait as Dalton, a six-foot, 197-pound defenceman for the 2013 Memorial Cup hosts is going to be scratched tonight with ongoing concussion symptoms as the Blades face the Calgary Hitmen and his brother Josh, a Western Hockey League rookie, for the first time this season.

“Obviously I’m really disappointed I won’t get to play against him,” Dalton, who turns 19 on Dec. 20. “But luckily we face them more than once.”

Three more times, actually, but not until 2013 — at Saskatoon on Feb. 1 and March 5, and back at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Feb. 27. Beyond that, with the Blades hosting the Canadian Hockey League championship … you just never know.

But their time will come eventually — and both are pumped.

“We text quite a bit,” said Josh, who has played 15 games already this season collecting a goal and two assists and has four fights on his card. “Sometimes we’ll give each other the odd call to see how we’re both doing. He definitely has a lot of questions for me — how the guys are treating me, how the season is going.

“He’s given me a few tips on what I need to improve on and focus on more.”

Making the jump from midget to major junior this year, Josh was a step ahead thanks to Dalton, a Montreal Canadiens 2012 draft pick who provided him with first-hand experience through 21 career fights (according to hockeyfights.com) and 202 regular season WHL games.

At only 16, Thrower clearly has put that knowledge to good use — against overage players, rookies, small guys, big guys, whoever.

And big brother approves.

“I watch him on the Internet a lot,” said Dalton who hasn’t played since Nov. 3 at Lethbridge but got the OK to join the team on the road trip to Calgary. “I’m really proud of him. He’s a mean defenceman, I’d consider him. He plays the body well and takes care of his own end. He fights some of the tougher guys in the league and holds his own.”

But given his rookie status, Josh admits, there is a bit of pride on the line.

“I don’t want other guys to think I’m cowarding out when they ask me to go,” said the six-foot-, 194-pounder. “I don’t think it’s too bad fighting bigger and older guys. It’s probably going to hurt them as much as it hurts me.

“There’s a code — older guys aren’t supposed to fight a lot younger guys. I don’t really think of it that way. If someone’s going to ask me to fight, I’m not going to turn it down. I’m not really scared.”

Except for maybe one person. Because then both combatants would face the wrath of a higher power.

“Both of my parents said we’d be in a whole lot of trouble if we fought,” Josh said, chuckling. “If one of us got hurt if we had a good fight, maybe one of us broke a nose ... my dad definitely doesn’t want that for either of us.”

NOTES:

Heading into tonight’s game, Calgary (17-5-1-2) was second in the Eastern Conference behind the Prince Albert Raiders (18-8-0-2) and ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings (16-5-2-3). Saskatoon (12-12-0-1), which faces Red Deer on Dec. 1, has been 6-3-0-1 in its’ past 10 games and was hovering at eighth. The Hitmen, on the other hand, are red-hot — winners of four straight and nine of their past 10 games. However, they have had a long layover between games and haven’t played since last Friday’s 4-1 win over Medicine Hat … Also featured this weekend is the Petro-Canada Teddy Bear Toss against the visiting Kootenay Ice (2 p.m.; Sportsnet 960 The Fan).

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